Keith Urban Enjoys a Momentous Week

As the year progresses, one question is becoming perfectly clear: Who wouldn’t wanna be Keith Urban?

On the brink of a national tour with Kenny Chesney, Urban enjoys a sizable jump on the country albums chart this week. And Monday night (March 1), he checks into Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for his first show as a headliner at the historic venue. Immediately following the show, Urban heads to a party celebrating the platinum status of his latest album, Golden Road.

Golden Road rises five slots to land at No. 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums listing. In the meantime, the first four titles on the chart remain unchanged with
Chesney’s When the Sun Goes Down at the top — followed by Toby Keith’s Shock’n Y’all, Alan Jackson’s Greatest Hits Volume II and Josh Turner’s Long Black Train. Keith’s previous album — the quadruple-platinum Unleashed — bounces up two levels to No. 6. Falling one position each are Martina McBride’s Martina (No. 7) and Brooks & Dunn’s Red Dirt Road (No. 8). Shania Twain’s Up! is down four spots to No. 9, and Gary Allan enters the Top 10 with See If I Care.

Lonestar had the highest debuting country single of the week by landing at No. 43 with “Let’s Be Us Again,” the first single from the band’s upcoming album. Nineties hitmaker Billy Dean returns to the chart at No. 49 with a remake of John Denver’s 1975 hit, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” written by Denver’s former guitarist, John Martin Sommers. Newcomer Donovan Chapman debuts at No. 56 with “Hey Hollywood,” and Cross Canadian Ragweed’s “Sick and Tired” arrives at No. 59.

On the country albums chart, another big act from the ’90s — John Berry — has the only debut of the week with I Give My Heart.